Guns on the bus? Bad idea

February 26, 2013

CTA President Forrest Claypool, right, and RTA Jordan Matyas testify at a hearing on concealed carry on public transit. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune)

Illinois lawmakers' scramble to come up with a concealed carry law that will satisfy a federal court of appeals has given rise to one of the worst ideas we've heard in a long time: Allowing guns on public transportation.

At a pair of legislative hearings last week, mass transit officials urged lawmakers to include buses and trains on a list of venues that would be exempt from such a law.

Others have pleaded for exceptions for schools, churches, hospitals, sports stadiums and government buildings as well as large public gatherings such as concerts and festivals. Those settings carry an unacceptable risk that innocent bystanders could be harmed if a gun is fired or discharged accidentally. We can think of few situations in which that risk is greater than a train or bus packed with jostling, harried passengers.

"Allowing people to carry concealed weapons in a confined space like a bus or a train, especially on an elevated track or a subway, would create an unsafe environment for the more than 2 million people who use mass transit every day," CTA President Forrest Claypool told lawmakers.

He was joined by officials from Metra, Pace and the Regional Transportation Authority as well as the Illinois Public Transit Association, which represents county and municipal bus systems, dial-a-ride providers and paratransit agencies throughout the state.

The gun lobby is digging in its heels over the transit exemption, though. "We think that just because you avail yourself of public transit that you should not be deprived of your right to self-defense," National Rifle Association lobbyist Todd Vandermyde said.

Self-defense? On the CTA, the most commonly reported crime is theft. Commuters carrying smartphones, tablets and other portable electronics are frequent targets. Those incidents continued to climb last year, even as batteries, robberies and assaults declined slightly.

Having your iPhone snatched from your hands might be infuriating, but it doesn't call for a lethal response. Allowing commuters to carry guns, though, would invite that sort of overreaction. An armed commuter who tried to stop a purse-snatching could easily harm or even kill others in a crowded bus or train.

At last week's hearings, transit officials warned that "interpersonal conflicts" could escalate into violence. They noted the inebriated Cubs fans who pack the Red Line on game nights, and if you've been on one of those trains, you're probably nodding right now.

Most regular riders have had the unnerving experience of witnessing an angry encounter or being approached by a sketchy character while trapped in a bus or train car. Transit officials worry that ridership will decline if passengers are afraid guns could be drawn in those situations.

At Friday's hearing, Chicago Ald. Harry Osterman, 48th, wondered aloud whether those who want to allow guns on the trains have ever ridden on one.

There were three shootings on the CTA last year, none fatal. That's three too many. Somehow we don't think adding more guns to the mix is the way to bring that number down.